“Should we be worried about the undertow?” Emma asked Daniel. It was their first time along this stretch of beach. The sun-warmed sand. Mild waves. Gulls and pelicans soaring across a cloudless blue sky and sandpipers scampering along the shore. Otherwise nary a soul to be seen.

“There’s supposed to be a red warning flag if there’s danger of undertow,” Daniel said.

“I don’t see any flag at all. Maybe the undertow got it,” Emma replied. “What if we don’t know until it’s too late?”

They looked at each other, then raced into the water.

“Feels good,” Emma said. “The bottom is kind of cool. And no sign of undertow.”

“Cool on your undertoes,” Daniel joked. “You’re not afraid it’s going to suck you in?”

“Ha! You’re the one who’s going to get sucked in,” Emma declared, and she dipped a hand into the water and sent a handful of sea splashing against Daniel’s chest.

Daniel retaliated.

In the process of extending the retaliation, both lost their footing and went under. Daniel surfaced first. Sputtering, Emma came up a half second later.